1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible furniture structures and more particularly pertains to a portable shooting bench for supporting a shooter and an associated firearm relative to a ground surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of collapsible furniture structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, collapsible furniture structures heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of supporting individuals relative to a ground surface are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a chair with interlocking multiple components is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,837 which is easily assembled and disassembled for transport, storage, and use. The chair components include right and left hand leg members, a seat member, a back member, an arm member having right and left hand arm portions joined by an interconnecting section, and a support member. Each of the components is planar and is either configured as an equilateral triangle or as a base on an equilateral triangle. The components are formed with slots to interlockably connect one component to another.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,032 which teaches a compact and lightweight bench with removable parts permitting rapid, compact and lightweight assembling and disassembling thereof.
Other known prior art collapsible furniture structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,188,067; 4,919,480; 4,032,188; and 3,572,824.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a portable shooting bench for supporting a shooter and an associated firearm relative to a ground surface which includes a main support member supported in a substantially upright position by a forward leg member and a rearward seat support member, with a top member extending across the forward leg member and a seat member extending across the rearward seat support member such that the top member is positioned above and forward of the seat member to allow a shooter residing on the seat member to rest a rifle along or above the top member during aiming and discharging of the firearm. Furthermore, none of the known prior art collapsible furniture structures teach or suggest a portable shooting bench of the aforementioned structure in which the members thereof are substantially planar and include slots permitting sliding interconnection of the members without a use of additional fasteners.
In these respects, the portable shooting bench according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a shooter and an associated firearm relative to a ground surface.